JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Rates of social disconnectedness and depression have intensified in recent years. Yet, little is known about how they relate to one another across different age groups. This study assessed the relationship between social disconnectedness and depressive symptoms among U.S. adults of varying ages using an internet-delivered survey data collected between November 2021 and January 2022 from a national sample of 2,496 employed adults aged 18-89 years. Participants completed Upstream Social Interaction Risk Scale (U-SIRS-13) and the Patient Health Questionnaire short version (PHQ-2). Within each of five age groups (18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+), descriptive statistics and Pearson’s r correlations were calculated for U-SIRS-13 and PHQ-2. Subsequently, logistic regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between the U-SIRS-13 and PHQ-2 (a score of 3 or greater indicated possible depression, requiring further screening), controlling for sociodemographic covariates. The prevalence of possible depression among participants was 31.6%, which ranged from 46.8% (ages 18-29) to 10.5% (ages 60+). PHQ-2 and U-SIRS-13 had significant correlations in all age groups (Pearson’s r range: 0.283-0.275, P<0.001). Holding sociodemographic covariates constant, higher U-SIRS-13 scores were consistently associated with increased odds of possible depression across age groups (Odds Ratio range: 1.24-1.50, P<0.001). While possible depression was more prevalent among younger age groups (18-29 and 30-39), the relationship between social disconnectedness and possible depression was stronger among older age groups (40-49, 50-59, and 60+). Given this association, coordinated efforts are needed to simultaneously treat depressive symptomology and facilitate meaningful interactions with others.